Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio is finally happening with Henson Co.

The Gris Grimly take on the Carlo Collodi classic that has been in development with Guillermo Del Toro and the Jim Henson Company for several years is officially in progress with Fantastic Mr. Fox director Mark Gustafson to co-direct with Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth director Del Toro. Yaaaaaaaay! I pasted together the concept art below, but that's not the official logo.

Agreed. I hated that version of Pinocchio, but this one will be animated and based on book and drawings of Gris Grimly. Henson is producing the picture and creating the stop-motion puppets under the direction of Del Toro and the director of The Fantastic Mr. Fox. This will be that darker take closer to the source material that so many people have wanted, but with Del Toro's undeniable stamp. This really is the most brilliant merging of styles. If successful it could mark the beginning of a lot of Del Toro helmed animated projects. I didn't realize he consulted on so many recent animated pictures like MegaMind, Puss in Boots and Kung Fu Panda 2.

There is another rumored Pinocchio project in production so it makes sense someone would finally set this one in motion. It's likely to be a few years before we see it.

That's been totally abandoned at this point. And quite honestly, the original film stands alone beautifully. Another one would be nice, but it could also be a disappointment. Lots of long awaited sequels to movies usually are. So I'm mixed.

Agreed. I hated that version of Pinocchio, but this one will be animated and based on book and drawings of Gris Grimly. Henson is producing the picture and creating the stop-motion puppets under the direction of Del Toro and the director of The Fantastic Mr. Fox. This will be that darker take closer to the source material that so many people have wanted, but with Del Toro's undeniable stamp.

Click to expand...

Much like everything Disney ever did, the "lighter" version is the one that will be easily remembered and readily referenced. I just wonder how dark Del Toro plans to get... is the cricket going to get accidentally killed and come back as a ghost? Will Pinocchio be hanged? Anyway, I'm very excited to hear this. I'm hearing of all these gritty fairy tale reboots that add darkness that isn't half as interesting as the original darkness in the source material (especially the Twilight-ified nonsense). I'm inclined to think this wouldn't be the case.

That's been totally abandoned at this point. And quite honestly, the original film stands alone beautifully. Another one would be nice, but it could also be a disappointment. Lots of long awaited sequels to movies usually are. So I'm mixed.

Much like everything Disney ever did, the "lighter" version is the one that will be easily remembered and readily referenced. I just wonder how dark Del Toro plans to get... is the cricket going to get accidentally killed and come back as a ghost? Will Pinocchio be hanged? Anyway, I'm very excited to hear this. I'm hearing of all these gritty fairy tale reboots that add darkness that isn't half as interesting as the original darkness in the source material (especially the Twilight-ified nonsense). I'm inclined to think this wouldn't be the case.

That's a different Henson-based deal with different people. It has no bearing on this project one way or the other, so can't we at least be happy for this longtime-coming victory?

Click to expand...

Well... there are already a lot of very well made stop motion movies, and also a lot of Pinocchio movies. But there is only ONE Dark Crystal, no other movie can compare to it. Maybe Camerons AVATAR... but no ... it has humans in it and lacks any magic.

Avatar doesn't deserve to be uttered in the same paragraph as The Dark Crystal. James Cameron's name shouldn't even be spat out in the same page as Jim Henson's name.

Click to expand...

I may not have liked the Dark Crystal, but I do know quality production when I see it. I totally agree. Avatar doesn't deserve nearly half the praise it gets. Motion capture cgi is nothing special. Sure it looked pretty, but any big budget movie company could pull it off if they actually wanted to. There is something about Henson works that no one can truly replicate.

Well... there are already a lot of very well made stop motion movies, and also a lot of Pinocchio movies. But there is only ONE Dark Crystal, no other movie can compare to it. Maybe Camerons AVATAR... but no ... it has humans in it and lacks any magic.

Click to expand...

This is an entirely different topic! The reason that this film is being made has no bearing on the fact that the Dark Crystal is stuck in purgatory. I understand the frustration because I'm upset about that too, but the griping is misplaced here and the comparison of the two projects is meaningless.

Maybe the Power of the Dark Crystal would be farther along if it had someone like Del Toro behind it, but that's another topic for another thread and there's already one for that.

There have been a lot of versions of Pinocchio, but arguably none have lived up to the book. This incarnation has tackled the challenge and with n unbelievable creative team. The fact that the Jim Henson Company will be providing the stop motion puppets should be exciting for any fan of the company's fantasy properties. I think this is a first for them, right?

Wait...you mean that sequel was actually supposed to go into production? I thought it was just rumors. Shows how much I pay attention

Click to expand...

Yup. Here's the skinny on that from the Muppet Wiki. It's beyond frustrating, but the failure to bring the Dark Crystal sequel to screen over the last 7 years has nothing to do with the furthering of this Pinocchio film. Different players, different game. I think it's just exciting that the Henson people are going into stop motion animation. For some reason that cool factor is being lost here.

This is an entirely different topic! The reason that this film is being made has no bearing on the fact that the Dark Crystal is stuck in purgatory. I understand the frustration because I'm upset about that too, but the griping is misplaced here and the comparison of the two projects is meaningless.

Maybe the Power of the Dark Crystal would be farther along if it had someone like Del Toro behind it, but that's another topic for another thread and there's already one for that.

There have been a lot of versions of Pinocchio, but arguably none have lived up to the book. This incarnation has tackled the challenge and with n unbelievable creative team. The fact that the Jim Henson Company will be providing the stop motion puppets should be exciting for any fan of the company's fantasy properties. I think this is a first for them, right?

Click to expand...

The fact is simple. JHC would have to make all those expensive puppets, find another production company to help fund it, and they lacked that big name that Del Toro brings. I'd say if Del Toro has his own production company, he'd have to do all the work and Henson would just attach their name to it and share in the Box Office. But that's only a guess, and there's no evidence to support that.

DC 2 is first and foremost a sequel to a movie from 30 years ago. Disney was sort of lucky with the second Tron, but only because Tron became a cult film for flopping back when it first came out. But long awaited sequels like that never really manage to find their footing. Look at the last Indiana Jones. Everyone desperately wanted to see it get made and put SOOO much anticipation behind it that when it finally came out and got done, everyone said, "Oh.... that's what you made? Why did you make another one?" That's what would happen if DC 2 was made. I guarantee it. I can't wait for people to crap all over Men in Black 3.

But Pinocchio... that's a story told many times, but a well known one. It's a safer gamble, more production companies would be likely to jump on it AND Del Toro's name.

Look at the last Indiana Jones. Everyone desperately wanted to see it get made and put SOOO much anticipation behind it that when it finally came out and got done, everyone said, "Oh.... that's what you made?

Click to expand...

Who cares? It made a LOT of money:Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull